State prisoners housed in county jail accused of beating two jail inmates

Saturday

Dec 21, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Daily Telegram staff

An argument over noise resulted in three state prison inmates being arraigned on felony charges for allegedly beating two inmates at the Lenawee County Jail last month.

It is the first serious problem with state prisoners being housed at the county jail under a contract with the Michigan Department of Corrections, said Lt. James Craig of the Lenawee County Sheriff's Department.

The county began housing up to 20 state prisoners nearly two years ago to raise revenue from unused space in the jail.

Three of the state prisoners are accused of beating and kicking two county inmates the night of Nov. 27. Craig said the incident apparently began as a complaint by state prisoners over noise in a cell block that evening. Officers discovered a fight had taken place minutes after it occurred, he said.

"Our officers discovered one of the victims with multiple injuries to the face area," said Craig. He was transported to ProMedica Bixby Hospital for treatment of a fractured nose and other injuries. A second inmate was also found to have bruises and injuries on his face and was treated by a nurse on duty at the jail, he said, with follow-up treatment by a physician.

The fight began between a 17-year-old Adrian man and one of the state prisoners. A 21-year-old Adrian man was also beaten by two other state prisoners when he tried to intervene and stop the fight, Craig said.

The three prisoners arraigned Friday all face charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, carrying maximum 10-year prison terms. The men arraigned were Terrance Ray Hall, 48, Tori Terrell King, 22, and Michael Lawson McGraw, 35. They were scheduled for preliminary hearings on Dec. 30.